It was immediately obvious that he was a talented horseman and during his time at Arthur Moore’s, he rode 13 winners, including the prestigious Fingal Hurdle on Royal Bond. Returning to Ireland after a short spell in Newmarket, he set up his own yard training and breaking near Naas, Co Kildare.

The son of a family steeped in racing and hunting, his brother Kim is presently a Warwickshire joint-master, so it was inevitable that Bay found himself hunting with his local pack, the Kildare Foxhounds. Neil Parker, the then master and huntsman, was not slow in noting his fearless approach to the Kildare country and very soon he was acting as honorary second whipper-in.